Autonomous vehicles may be configured to be driven in a manual mode (where the operator exercises a high degree of control over the movement of the vehicle) or in an autonomous mode (where the vehicle essentially drives itself). These vehicles use various computing systems to aid in the transport of passengers from one location to another. Some autonomous vehicles may require some initial input or continuous input from an operator, such as a pilot, driver, or passenger. Other systems, for example autopilot systems, may be used only when the system has been engaged, which permits the operator to switch from a manual mode to an autonomous mode and to modes that lie somewhere in between.
A vehicle with autonomous driving capability may be configured to receive signal inputs from the sensors that monitor the vehicle operations, surrounding objects and road conditions in order to identify safety hazards and generate countermeasures to deal with various driving situations. The autonomous vehicle may also collect and record data from various information sources such as cellular network, satellites as well as user inputs such as users' identification, destinations and routes of navigation requests and vehicle operation preferences.
A vehicle with autonomous driving capability may further be adapted to detect various potential hazardous conditions and issue warnings to the user. The potential hazardous condition may include, for example, the vehicle's approaching a sharp curve, nearby pedestrians, icy roads, etc. Such vehicle may also be configured with mechanisms of taking active steps to avoid these hazards, e.g., slowing down the vehicle, applying the brake, etc.